tac -- www.vitac.com good morning to you. i'm carol costello. thank you for joining me for this special edition of "cnn newsroom" as we remember the life and legacy of nelson mandela. first breaking news in the last hour, brand new jobs report is out with the lowest unemployment rate in five years. we'll tell you how the markets and the white house are responding this morning. also an arctic blast, this is dallas, where the mercury has dropped 50 degrees in just the last 24 hours. colossal ice storm putting on the freeze from texas to tennessee. and in johannesburg, remembering the man who went from prisoner to president, we'll have the latest on funeral plans for the anti-apartheid icon, nelson mandela. first to that breaking news on the economy, americans are getting back to work, 203,000 jobs were added to payrolls in november, and the unemployment rate ticked two notches lower to 7%.

that's the lowest unemployment rate in five years. our chief business correspondent christine romans is here to break down the numbers. better than expected, so should we feel absolutely completely good about this? >> i saw some broad-based strength in these numbers from warehousing to retail to transportation to construction so there's broad based health care as well, that's important here. carol, the trend, i always talk about the trend how important that is. you look at the last four months on average, 200,000 plus jobs over the last four months and carol we are on track this year for the most jobs created since 2005. we're on track for more than 2 million jobs created and that is a marked improvement from what we've seen in recent memory, so this is good news, a 7% unemployment rate is still good news. you'll hear people talk about their concerns about this underemployment rate, 13.2%, people who are unemployed or working part-time but they'd like a full time job. that number still too high. shows we have work to do, shows that we still have in the next

year the next two years need to be creating more jobs and good paying jobs but in terms of the direction of the economy in the near term these numbers broad based, different sectors showing gains, the trend, the last four months, 200,000 plus jobs created and unemployment rate now the lowest since november 2008, it shows that healing in the labor market is really gaining speed. i would say hiring is picking up, layoffs are slowing and we're seeing these signs of strengthening in the economy. the one number i looked at that got me were the car sales numbers you. you don't buy a car if you're quali not confident in your job so this is a sign of confidence about the job market. still a lot of work to do. >> surprising, auto sales are up, new home sales are up but the start of the holiday shopping season has been disappointing, sales fell for the first time since 2006. >> that's right. >> that kind of doesn't make much sense to me. >> it makes perfect sense to me

because people are smart, right? the recent memory of the recession is still fresh so they're feeling better about things. if they're going to make a purchase it's going to be a home, it's going to be a car, maybe college tuition, they're going to pay down some debt, they're going to make sure they're managing their credit card bills a little bit better. i think this is the first year in a long time i've seen consumers not completely outsmarted on the holidays. that's great, right? >> i do, too. >> so i'm going to take this as a solid economic report and another asterisk to all of the strengths, don't get me wrong but for a long time it was only weakness, and now you're starting to see places where the economy is moving again. will it last beyond four months, that remains to be seen. one last thing the fed. this might give the fed ammunition to start its taper to pull back on stimulus early next year. they have to be careful how and when they do that. they don't want to hurt the labor market by pulling out the supports to the economy, so we're going to have some very

interesting weeks and months ahead. >> what you just said about the fed might mean the stock market isn't spiking up as much as you might expect. let's head to wall street in new york and zain asher, what are stocks doing right now, zain? >> reporter: hey, carol. it's interesting. futures are reacting positively, very positively, dow futures up by triple digits. it's interesting because if we had had these strong numbers just a few months ago, you would have seen the futures probably dropping sharply but it looks as though the market is maturing and finally accepting that good news does actually mean good news. the economy is getting stronger. you're also going to be seeing these numbers long-term investors who are betting on the economy actually buying in, short term investors might be more concerned about what the fed is doing. i think overall as christine romans my colleague just mentioned, this does mean that there is a higher probability of the fed beginning to taper at some point in the near future, obviously you have the fed the last meeting of the year coming

up in two weeks, so people are going to be asking themselves what will this mean for tapering. it's not just about the jobs numbers. you want to see consistency and other positive economic data. we have car numbers, we have jobless claims, new home sales as well, all of that coming in very positively. you need to see consistency and be sure in the next couple of months you don't see a reversal, seasonal workers added for the holiday season being losing their jobs in the next few months. we need to see consistently but this brings to light fed tapering. >> zain asher reporting live from the new york stock exchange. let's head to the white house now because this is good news for the obama administration, it comes on the heels of all the bad news about obama care. brianna keilar is at the white house this morning. good morning, brianna. >> reporter: good morning to you, carol. this is positive news for the obama administration. we don't have official reaction yet, that normally comes later generally in this hour so we'll

be looking to are that but i think the read -- we've been through so many reports i think we have a sense of what the reaction will be, this say positive trend, still more work to do and you said carol, this allows president obama to focus on the economy, something he already tried to do this week in an address where he outlined new economic initiatives like the minimum wage, like increasing investments and infrastructure and education, so this gives him a little fuel to do that as the rollout to obama care has been so rocky. this is certainly something the white house is welcoming here. >> we'll check back. brianna keilar live at the white house this morning. and now let's head back to washington and bring in wolf blitzer for more on our special coverage of the passing of nelson mandela. wolf, take it away. >> to the world, nelson mandela was a freedom fighting revolutionary who later rose to be a statesman and influenced others as aan icon and ambassador of peace. in his native south africa he was lovingly known as madiba, a

symbol his countrymen had for their president. jacob zuma yesterday spoke about his legacy. >> we'll always love madiba for teaching us that it is possible to overcome hatred and anger in order to build a new nation and a new society. >> president zuma also announced funeral plans for nelson mandela, including a national day of prayer and reflection this sunday, an open air memorial service at johannesburg soccer stadium next tuesday and his burial on december 15th. and in johannesburg and throughout south off africa a variety of tributes, among them flags flying at half staff, a mood echoed in the uk why david cameron said mandela's dignity

inspired millions. here in the united states white house flags were lowered on the order of president obama. up on capitol hill house speaker john boehner issued a similar request. in johannesburg crowds have been gathering since mandela's death was announced. arwa damon is on the scene for us. there's been a flurry of emotions from mourners, some in tears, others celebrating the life of their beloved former leader through song and dance. tell us what you are seeing and hearing. ♪ >> reporter: well wolf, this is still a country that is very much processing what has taken place, and if you just take a look, this has been the atmosphere here in johannesburg outside of nelson mandela's home where he did spend his final months and weeks and moments, when he was under intensive care, passing away in the house just down the street here, and this has become something of a makeshift gathering point for all involved, there's been a lot of singing, dancing, chanting, a

lot of celebrating at this stage, a man to whom this nation everyone we've spoken to will tell you owes just about everything. we've spoke on it a number of different people to give you a few examples a 23-year-old black university student who really wanted to point out that his parents did not live in a nation where they could easily speak with white people, where they could use the same transportation systems, work alongside one another, but he, because he said of what nelson mandela had done for this country, because he chose to reconcile rather than seek revenge this young man had the opportunity to go to school, we also spoke with a white woman who was here with three of her children, laying flowers. she said she wanted to bring them here so they would begin to learn and understand and live this moment, but she also wanted to send them the message that those dark days of south africa's past were most certainly a thing of the past. lot of emotions here at this

stage quite naturally, the nation trying to grapple with what has happened, and people will tell you that even though mandela's often referred to as being a hero, an icon, they, themselves, say that those words are not sufficient enough to describe what he has done for this country, wolf. >> i against the whole country is getting ready for a lot of world leaders including president obama to come to south africa to pay their respects. what are you seeing and feeling there in anticipation of all of these world leaders coming there? >> well, there most certainly is the sense of appreciation and pride that a south african leader like nelson mandela put this country into the spotlight, and that his passing away is causing this attention, these global leaders to come into the country itself. there's also a sense amongst people that perhaps this celebration, this aura of celebration is going to morph into a much more somber atmosphere, especially as we get

closer and during the days when he is actually being buried, the day when of course that memorial for him is going to be taking place. this has really been a moment for so many that we've been speaking to, to really feel that sense of pride in the country that's prided their country gave birth to an individual to such a hero and icon. >> we'll check back with you, arwa damon on the scene. still to come much more on the impact of nelson mandela and his leg pi. rick stengel of "time" magazine will be my special guest.

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you can call it ice friday. take a look at the tower cam in dallas, texas, right now. testament to the freezing rain that's falling as we speak. the lens of that camera just frozen over, it's only 29 degrees in dallas this morning. freezing rain is continuing to fall. they've already had an inch and a half of snow and ice. oh, man, the high temperature today in dallas is only going to be 30 degrees, the low into the teens, the only comfort perhaps is that dallas will not be alone because this is a massive winter storm system and it's dropping ice from texas to tennessee. it's knocking out power. it's messing up travel on the ground and in the air. snow was also falling overnight

in arkansas, parts of that state are under a category 5 catastrophic ice storm warning. people there could be without power for weeks. let's talk about dallas for a little bit, temperatures dropped there, 50 degrees over the last 24 hours, cnn's alina machado was there to feel it all. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carol. just when you think this is easing up, it starts to pick up again. the wind starts to pick up, the sleet continues to fall here in downtown dallas and there are reports that in the dallas-ft. worth area there is up to a half inch of ice. if you want to have an idea of what that looks like you have to look around me. take a look at this chair. it is covered with ice. there is a bit of a glaze over it. these bushes behind me rock solid, frozen. the trees around here and also the roads, the roads are slick. they're slippery and that's probably why you're seeing these people taking their time out on the roads. there are already dozens of

reported accidents in this area. let's talk about power outages, there are more than 230,000 people waking up today without power in this area, and carol, if this continues, this will likely continue to rise. >> i was just going to -- i'm sorry, i had a noise in my ear and couldn't hear the last part of what you said but i do hear the freezing rain falling onto the ground in your microphone, so let's just allow people to listen so they can glory in the freezing rain, along with you. >> reporter: it's definitely coming down here, and it will continue to come down it seems for a while. like i said earlier, when you think it's easing up, it picks right back up. >> i know, it's amazing, you can hear it fall. alina machado thanks so much, we appreciate it. later in the show we'll take you to memphis, they're suffering there, too. we'll be back with much more in "the newsroom." symptoms. you give them the giggles. tylenol cold® helps relieve your worst cold and flu symptoms.

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we want to take a closer look now at nelson mandela's political legacy, specifically his impact on president obama, whom he met back in 2005, when obama was then a junior senator, freshman senator from the state of illinois. rick stengel joins me from new york, former managing editor of "time" magazine, also collaborated on the important book "long walk to freedom" the autobiography of nelson mandela, lbs the author of "mandela's way: lessons on life, love and courage." rick, thanks very much for joining us. talk about this relationship between president mandela and president obama. >> you know, wolf, i thought the president was very eloquent

yesterday, talking about what president mandela meant to him. in many ways i think mandela was partly responsible for barack obama's own political awakening. one of the great legacies of mandela particularly in america is that it was an awakening for so many people that people were looking at south africa, this land that with terrible prejudice, terrible authoritarian government and we were looking at it as almost a proxy for what had happened in america during the civil rights movement and i think it awakened and it was a revelation for many, many americans. >> i'm sure president obama and i'm sure you'll agree was deeply disappointed when he was in south africa earlier this year, with his family, he was not able to go and meet president mandela, because he was so gravely ill. i'm sure he would have loved to have done that, but he obviously couldn't. he'll head to south africa in the coming days for the funeral,

this will be an important event not only for president obama but for the united states. >> yes, and again, wolf, mandela has not been himself for a number of years. i think it was understandable he wasn't able to meet with the president. mandela say man of such great pride. the last few years when his memory was failing him, he felt awkward, seeing people, but i do think it's a great opportunity for president obama, president obama has had an important and deep focus on africa, the young african leaders initiative that he started as something that he cares a great deal about, so i think it will be an important moment when he does go over there for the funeral. >> you and i were in capetown, south africa, together a couple years ago during the world cup, when "time" magazine and "fortune" magazine, cnn, we hosted an international conference and president bill clinton was the featured speaker. bill clinton's relationship with nelson mandela was really, really powerful, wasn't it?

>> it was very powerful, wolf. i know they both cherished it, president mandela cherished it and i know president clinton did. in some ways maybe it's presumptuous to say it was a little bit of a father/son relationship. clinton looked up to mandela. mandela was an adviser to him and almost a very personal intimate way, and they shared a real bond, and i loved those beautiful photographs of when clinton went with mandela to robben island and you see them both looking out of mandela's old cell, very powerful. >> i interviewed nelson mandela the day after that visit to robben island back in march of 1998, and during that interview, he spoke glowingly of president clinton, but he also made it clear he did not a have a problem criticizing various u.s. policies and making it clear we an international agenda, there you see a picture of the former president bill clinton, he was president with nelson mandela in the cell in robben island and

you see first lady hillary clinton there as well. mandela was not reluctant to criticize the u.s. when he thought it was making a mistake globally. >> not at all, wolf. he was a great believer you can disagree without being disagreeable and i think he made a distinction between the american people and american culture and the american government. i mean, remember, wolf, in the 1950s, nelson mandela was considered a terrorist by the american government. he sought help in the 50s and early 60s from america and was always rebuffed and so his legacy and relationship with american are america was not, was a fraught one and was a mixed one, and so he never hesitated to criticize the u.s. but he never hesitated to understand the power of america on the international scene. >> i'm going to talk about nelson mandela with bill clinton, my interview will air in "the situation room" later today 5:00 p.m. eastern. rick, thanks very much for joining us

>> great to be with you, wolf. >> "time" magazine is paying special tribute to nelson mandela with a commemorative issue, the photo on the cover was taken back in 1990 in sweden during mandela's first trip abroad after his release from that robben island prison, the issue includes tributes by rick stengel as well as by bono and morgan freeman. the magazine hits newsstands monday. still toment could, the administration is working out the details for president obama to travel to south africa to pay his respects to nelson mandela. brianna keilar is at the white house. >> reporter: good morning to you, wolf. nelson mandela was a hero to president obama from the time even he was a teenager. i'll have a live report on their special relationship coming up. stamps.com is the best.

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good morning. i'm carol costello. thanks so much for joining me. we'll get back to our coverage on the death of nelson mandela in a minute. right now we're keeping an eye on wall street. [ bell ringing ] investors may be taking a strong jobs report with a grain of salt. as i told you at the top of the show, 203,000 jobs were added in november and the unemployment rate dropped to 7% from 7.3%. but while the economy continues to get stronger, it means wall street may not need the billions of dollars the fed has been pumping into it, stimulating it. zain asher is at the new york stock exchange with more on this. good morning, zain. >> reporter: hey, carol. yes, we are in the green, the dow up 32 points. the market is really reacting to the unemployment rate more than the payroll numbers. the payroll numbers came in better than expected, a little bit more than 200,000. the real surprise for everyone was the unemployment rate which is key. the fed has said several times

they look to the unemployment rate when decides when to taper. they wanted to get to 6.5%, right now it's 7% so we are inching closer. but i think that when you talk to traders they're all saying to me don't speak too soon because yes the market is in the green right now but throughout the day, traders might use that as an opportunity to start taking some profits off the table especially since the bulls are out. >> zain asher, reporting live from the -- you know i did want to ask you about one thing, talking about nelson mandela this morning. the stock exchange honored him today. how did it do that? >> just a few moments ago there was a minute of silence down here, president mandela was here in 2002. he rang the opening bell, obviously that's usually done by dignitaries, notable people, nelson mandela certainly one of those, the ceo put mandela in a class all his own, calls him a seminal figure in world history. >> stain we appreciate that. thanks so much. checking other top stories

at 31 minutes past the hour the engineer behind the controls of the commuter train that derailed in the bronx suspended without pay and the ntsb says drug and alcohol tests for william rockefeller have all come back neglective. as you know, four people died when the train jumped the tracks on sunday. the funeral for one of the victims scheduled for today. a frightening scene in an airport in the uk yesterday, winds at the birmingham airport were so strong this plane was forced to abort its landing moments before it touched down. look at the wind under the wings of that plane burned it sideways. gusts as high as 140 miles per hour forced that pilot to take off again and land at another airport. the plane did end up landing safely and on time at that other airport. a los angeles man has been arrested, he's accused of stealing part of the wreckage from the crash that killed paul walker. officials say the man snatched a piece of the charred porsche off

a police tow truck as it was being taken away from the scene. the suspect could face charges of theft and tampering with evidence. we're remembering the life and legacy of nelson mandela, the anti-apartheid icon who became south africa's first black president. he died yesterday at the age of 95. our cnn correspondents are stationed around the world with the very latest on the reaction to the loss of a man who truly changed the course of history. you're looking at a live picture right now from johannesburg where a huge public memorial is being planned for early next week. in london, buckingham palace is flying the union flag at half staff right now, there you see it. outside the apollo theater in harlem, in new york city, there's a tribute in lights on its legendary marquee in memory of nelson mandela. president obama referred to nelson mandela as a personal hero.

the two men met only once and it was this moment right here, it was back in 2005, president obama was then senator obama from illinois. both men were the first black presidents of their respective nations, both men won the nobel peace prize, both men shattered racial, social and political barriers. brianna keilar is joining us from the white house right now. brianna, despite some of the parallels between the two men, president obama's pretty uncomfortable when people make that comparison of him to nelson mandela, isn't he? >> reporter: he is and it sort of makes sense, wolf, because nelson mandela is someone who is so iconic and also who made such great sacrifices being in prison for 27 years, as he did fight for freedom, and certainly also because president obama thought of nelson mandela as a hero for decades. president obama was just 19 years old when he first started participating in the anti-apartheid movement. it was 1981, he was a sophomore

at oxidental college in california where he gave his first political speech, speaking out against apartheid. for president obama, nelson mandela was a personal hero and a political idols who legendary struggles fueled his ambitions. >> i drew inspiration from nelson mandela's life. my very first political action, first thing i ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics was a protest against apartheid. >> reporter: they met in person only briefly in 2005, before obama became president. the two leaders each standing in history as the first black president of his nation, spoke occasionally by phone. president obama penned the forward for mandela's 2010 memoir "conversations with myself." he wrote his example helped awaken me to the wider world and the obligation that we all have

to stand up for what is right. through his choices, mandela made it clear that we did not have to seep the world as it is, that we could do our part to seek the world as it should be." when president obama visited south africa this summer, mandela was so ill, the two were unable to meet. still mandela's inspiration played large during the president's trip. president obama returned to robben island, the prison where mandela, known as madiba, spent 18 years, but this time, he brought his entire family. >> there was something different from bringing my children, and malia is now 15, sasha is 12, and seeing them stand within the walls that once surrounded nelson mandela, i knew this was an experience that they would never forget. i knew that they now appreciated a little bit more the sacrifices

that madiba and others had made for freedom. >> reporter: soon after the leader's death was announced, obama said he could not imagine his life without mandela's example. >> we've lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth. he no longer belongs to us. he belongs to the ages. >> reporter: president obama there echoing the words that were said of abraham lincoln after he passed away, wolf, and we do know that the president will be going to south africa to pay tribute to nelson mandela. we certainly would expect that other former presidents would be going as well, just because of the iconic nature of this event, but at this point we're still waiting for some of the details on that, wolf. >> we should be getting those details soon, brianna, i know world leader also be coming to south africa to pay their respects. brianna keilar at the white house. funeral plans for nelson mandela will carry out over ten days.

over that time, world leaders from all over the globe will join the thousands of people who want to say good-bye to the man they affectionately called madiba. cnn's robyn curnow has nor. >> reporter: a ten-day remembrance is planned. the memorial rituals for nelson mandela include western traditions and those of his native clan. they expect them to last for ten days culminating for i hhis bur in the south african hills where he played as a trial. no public events are expected until early next week when tens of thousands of mourner, expected to pack a johannesburg soccer stadium for a public memorial service. white house official tells cnn that the administration is working on plans for president obama to be part of that huge crowd. then starting on the sixth day after his death, mandela is expected to lie in-state for

three days in the government's seat of pretoria. it's the same place he took his oath of office as president in 1994. public visitation may be limited to daylight hours, and long lines are expected. plans then call for mandela's body to be flown by military r aircraft to his ancestral home in the eastern cape. the casket will be ferried by gun carriage to the village of punu and on the tenth day under a large day and under heavy security, thousands of mourners, including dozens of heads of state, will attend a state funeral that will be broadcast to many millions worldwide. and at night a few hundred family members and friends will bury mandela in a ceremony according to custom will be like a homecoming. so over these ten days of mourning, you will see a combination of western and

african rituals play out. no surprise for a man who so easily bridged differences. robyn curnow, cnn, johannesburg, south africa. >> we'll have much more on nelson mandela, his life and his legacy, that's coming up later this hour. i want to go back to carol right now. truly amazing man. i've often said it was probably the most powerful interview i ever did and i've been doing this for a long time, when i sat down with nelson mandela in capetown in the presidential residence back in 1998 and i could just feel what he had done to prevent civil war, a blood bath, in south africa. it was really an amazing experience for me. >> it's amazing to me, you know, he always appeared so charming and so friendly, but i'm sure his mind was a steel trap and behind the scenes he was much different because he was so politically savvy. could you see both sides to him when you interviewed him, wolf? >> he could not have been more

charming. he smiled. he took me on a tour. he was lovely in every respect but you could also see the power inside, and we went through a whole bunch of issues, issues of the day, long-term, short term. i could see why he was willing to do what he did do. he said to me, you know, we need everyone in south africa. we need whites, we need blacks, we need everyone to work together. we don't have time for recrimination, for vengeance, for bloodshed. we've got to work together to build a new south africa and that truly inspired me as it inspired so many other people around the world. >> i just wish we had an inspirational lieder of our own these days, but they're few and far between sadly. >> he was unique. >> he was. we'll get back to you wolf, thanks so much. still to come in "the newsroom," ice is turning roads into rinks from texas to tennessee. indra petersons is live this morning in chilly memphis. >> reporter: yes, looks like

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we are joined by zain asher at the stock exchange. >> the dow is up 125 points.

here is what i find interesting. throughout the week we had positive economic reports in terms of car sales, new home sales et cetera and the market sold off a bit because everybody feared of the tapering. we get the jobs report and the market is a lot higher, it goes basically the reverse of what you would think. here is what is happening, you're seeing long-term investors at the levels, just basically betting on the strength of the economy, people are sort of accepting the fact that the fed is going to begin to taper, they've accepted that, we know it's going to happen in a few months, but the economy is getting stronger, and long-term investors are liking it and buying in. >> zain asher we'll check back with you. iceiest roads treacherous travel from texas to tennessee. the ice will build up, bringing down tree limbs and of course power lines. more than 230,000 people are without power in north texas and that number is expected to rise. george utility crews are on the way to arkansas to help out.

the weather service is calling for a category 5 catastrophic ice storm for parts of arkansas and tennessee. people living there could go for weeks without power. i hope that doesn't happen. the storm stranding air travelers, flightaware.com reports more than 1,000 flights have been canceled for today, on top of another 1,000 from yesterday. those cancellations are both for weather and mechanical issues. with the domino effect your flight could be affected even if you're not flying out of an ice zone. cnn's indra petersons is in the storm's bull's eye, which is oddly memphis, tennessee. tell us more, indra. >> reporter: the scary thought when you think about this, carol, there's about 20,000 people coming into this city for a marathon that is starting tomorrow, the st. jude's marathon. lot of people are traveling on the icy roads and even though the sun is coming up, the temperatures have been dipping farther down as the arctic air is zooming in closer. for us, the freezing rain west of us, right here right now

comes the calm before the storm we know is headed our way. we look at the radar, easy to see where the arctic plunges is, where the storm moves into the region it's impacted so many people, you talk about from southern indiana through texas, they've already seen the dots, those are freezing rain reports, so definitely huge impact is already out there, farther to the north, southern illinois, about a third of an inch, with you down to the south, you nailed it, you're talking about arkansas and tennessee, that's where we've already seen places like ft. smith, already had an inch of ice from freezing rain, and this threat still continues as this line makes its way closer and i always say this, over a half an inch of ice on the power lines makes them weigh 500 pounds. definitely an amazing fact, that means power lines are expected to come down, you're talking about a category 3 ice storm, it's a new thing, ice impact index the national weather service is trying this year. what that really tells you is of course what the impacts are. here in memphis they're thinking a cat 3, half inch to

three-quarters of an inch, over a500-pound. north of arkansas they're expecting a catastrophic ice storm, category 5, they could be without power for weeks. >> it's unbelievable. let's talk about that marathon for a second. how could people possibly run on icy streets? >> reporter: yes, it hasn't been canceled yet and that's the thing for me, my bigger concern is people coming into town and out of town during the busiest time of this ice storm so even more importantly how do they plan on getting here because i know they're not here yet and the hotels, many are sold out. people are losing power. there's nowhere else to go. >> my goodness. we'll check back with you, indra petersons, live in memphis, tennessee, this morning. we're >> carol, thank you. still to come, few can talk about the horror that nelson mandela had to endure, but one man can do that, a man that was in prison with nelson mandela at

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nelson mandela spent, what, 27 years in prison. much of that time was spent in the notoriously brutal conditions on robben island off the coast of south africa. few can recount the horror that nelson mandela had to endure. one man certainly can. this man was imprisoned on robben island while mandela was there. and he's joining us. thank you for coming in. tell our viewers what daily life was like for prisoners on robben island. >> so much so, that it was easy to forget the sense of time. tuesday was pretty much like a friday. so with time, most prisoners just forgot what day of the week it was. you did the same thing over and

over again. you could predict three years in advance what you would do on a specific day. the type of food you would eat. and pretty of the folks you would be able to interact with and talk to. that -- that side of life in prison was pretty stable. it used to be broken by visits. which for different categories of prisoners differed. for example, if a prisoner was cats goerized a "d" prisoner, they would be entitled to a visit once in six months or something like that. >> did you have a lot of exchanges with nelson mandela on robben island? >> i did. i did. at first it was through writing. we wrote to each other from different sections. because at the time when i got there, people from different sections weren't permitted to meet. but after about 18 months of my

stay there, the section in which i was, which was "b" section, was allowed to mix with people in his section. so in a week, we would meet for about two or three days. i also worked in the library and that made me a basis for working with a library in their section. and i could go in their section pretty much whenever we chose to. and in their section, the pepper working there was another man. >> did you ever imagine during those years while you were a prisoner that there would be a new south africa that would emerge and have the first black president, nelson mandela, and it would all be achieved peacefully? >> no, i didn't -- i didn't think it would ever happen. i thought the generation of prisoners who were there with

mr. mandela would simply not see a free south africa. and those who were in our 20s at the time, i thought by the time change came in south africa, we would be pretty old and not make a contribution to a democratic south africa. i thought it would be extremely bloody and conflict ridden. and we would inherit a country that would take time to heal and rebuild and just get people together again. i was convinced that it was never going to happen in -- in -- so soon. even by '85 i didn't think it would happen in the lifetime of many, many people who have played a good and leading role in building a democratic south africa. >> and nelson mandela was freed from prison in 1990 as inaugurated as president of

south africa in 1994. thank you so much for joining us and reflecting on this important day. our deepest on dole lances to you and everyone in south africa on this huge, huge loss. he went on to become the ceo of the nelson mandela foundation, by the way. joining us later today, i'll be edit sitting down and speaking with former president bill clinton. he and his family referred to nelson mandela as a leader and a friend. we're going to talk about the impact that he had on bill clinton and his presidency. the interview will air today, 5:00 p.m. eastern, in the "the situation room." the next hour of cnn "newsroom" begins right after a quick break. [announcer] all work and no play will make brady miss his favorite part of the day. ♪

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>> good morning. i'm carol costello. thanks so much for joining me for this special edition of cnn "newsroom" as we remember nelson mandela. we'll have more on his life and legacy in just a minute. first let's start with breaking news about the economy. 203,000 jobs were added last month and the unemployment rate hit 7%. to discuss all of this, i'm joined by christine romans.

she's in new york. georgia tech professor and zain asher is at the new york stock exchange. welcome to all of you. christine, i would like to start with you. i posted the good news and people were cynical about it. skeptical, they don't believe it. >> let me tell you a couple reasons why. and the white house points this out in the statement about the job situation. all of the improvement in the unemployment rate, the reason it fell to 7% was because people newly laid off found work. people who have been out of work six months or longer, the situation is exactly it was in november as it was in october. they're having a hard time finding work. people who have been out of work six months, they looking at them as if they don't have the skills and out of the loop, and they're not choosing the candidates. the other reason is the thing called the underemployment rate.

13.2%. it's coming down. still too high. this is the percentage of the american work force that is out of work or work part-time and wants to be working full-time. over the past year, you've got the best job creation since 2005. and unemployment rate the lowest since november 200. that is improvement. and this months we saw broad based job gains. a lot of jobs in manufacturing, warehouse and transportation. there are reasons to be upbeat about this number. it's got to continue and spread. >> so danny, i'll pose this question for you. as christine said, the number of jobs grew over the past four months. that's a good thing. that shows we have sustained economic growth. a lot of people still

unemployment. we would like the unemployment rate around 5%. still, this is a positive report. so give us the glass half full. >> let me give you the glass half full. and i also hope that in discussing this unemployment report, all the issues that christine just mentioned, the issue around mandela's legacy, that this should be a part of that discussion. his legacy was about fulfilling the human potential. and part of that is creating jobs, high quality jobs and reducing this historic income inequality. now back to the numbers and the glass half full, in my opinion this is the most positive employment report we've had in four and a half years. if you look at where jobs were createsed, they were created across all major industries. all groups in the economy. whether that's whites, blacks, hispanics. they sustained signature

reductions in unemployment. when you add that to sectors, for example, manufacturing, and housing sector and home construction, those things are very, very important. this is a very, very positive report. not where we want it to be. but it's something to build on. >> as christine reported yesterday, auto sales are way up, new home sales are way up. holiday shopping season wasn't great. but as christine pointed out, people are spending their money wore wisely and not buying stuff they don't he need. the fed is looking at the unemployment rate. it's now down to 7%. so does that mean the fed will soon stop stimulating the economy and how will wall street react? >> it's going to be interesting. people are fearing that it's going to be coming soon, the fed

tapering. there are several economic data reports that are in support of that. and they're going to try to do it in such a way as to not disrupt the market and more importantly, do it gradually. $85 billion is what they're buying in terms of stimulus. they're going to wind that down slowly. the market's have finally accepted that good news does equal good news. if you want to get on in this economic recovery, the place to be is stocks. but you knowledge when i talked to the tradered downstairs, they say there is one sort of key issue in terms of today. one of those things is low volume. and when you have low volume in the market, that does mean, tends to mean volatility. so the big question is, what's going to be happening towards the end of the day? are people going to be using this opportunity to sell? the dow is up 21% so far this

year. it might be an opportunity for investors to start taking money off the table. >> we'll see. thanks to all of you. let's talk about the weather. it's nasty. a massive winter storm sweeping from texas to tennessee. dumping snow and ice and sending temperatures down ward. slick roads in north texas are slowing the drive down. nearly a quarter million people are without power right now in the dallas area. storms affecting air travel nationwide. flightsaware.com reporting more than 1200 flights have been canceled already. alina machado is in dallas where freezing rain has fallen all morning. good morning. >> reporter: freezing rain has been falling all morning, so has sleet at times. and right now, it seems -- it seems like we're getting a bit of a break. we do have the occasional wind

gust, but it is still very cold. and it has been falling for hours. so we hear reports that this area, the dallas-ft. worth area has seen up to a half inch of ice. look around me. this entire around in downtown is frozen. this chair is frozen. this isn't snow, this is really hard ice. i mean this is ice. the bushes are frozen. the roads are slushy. take a look at the highway behind me. people taking it easy and taking their time because the roads are slick. this is a treacherous driving situation throughout this part of texas. now, power outages, we're talking about at least 200,000 people without power today here in the dallas-ft. worth area. we're also hearing of cancellations at the dallas-ft.

worth international airport, departure cancellations. and we know that airlines are doing what they can to get the flights out of here. but they're busy de-icing the planes so that they can take off. >> alina reporting live from, texas. let's head to wolf blitzer for more on mandela. >> his home has become a gathering place tore so many people. some cried as they left candles, flowers, and other mementos. others upon hearing of the death of the man they called madiba celebrated his life and legacy through song and dance. the current president of south africa had this to say to a nation in mourning.

>> we sincerely thank all south africans for the dignified manner in which they have respected and responded to the monumental loss of this international icon who was a symbol of reconciliation, unity, love, human rights, and justice in our country and in the world. >> president zuma also announced funeral plans for nelson mandela. including a national day of prayer and reflection. this sunday, an open air memorial service at johannesburg soccer stadium, next tuesday, and his burm on december 15th.

-- reconciliation and truth. the pope also prayed that south africans, quote, put justice and the common good in the forefront of their political aspirations. we're in london with more now. and that reaction is powerful. >> reporter: hi, wolf. well, people here outside the south africa house in london are celebrating the life of nelson mandela. as you can see, they're singing and dancing. songs that were sung during the struggle against the apartheid as the world reflects on nelson mandela's legacy. >> tonight, one of the brightest lights of our world has gone out. >> reporter: news of his death traveled swiftly around the

world. in the uk, prince william and kate heard the news while attending the uk premiere of the film, man dal la, a walk to freedom. >> what an inspiring man he was. >> and just hours before, british actor who portrayed the south african icon in the film, shared these words. >> he told me this, he said i'm not sick, i'm just old. >> reporter: but after hearing of his passing, the actor said in a statement to cnn, what an honor it was to step into the shoes of nelson mandela. my thoughts and prayers are with his family. across the globe, world leaders reflected on the legacy nelson mandela leaves behind. at the united nations, silence.

>> no one did more in our time to advance the values and aspirations of the united nations. nelson mandela showed what is possible for our world and leading each one of us, if we believe. >> reporter: today he is remembered in every corner of the globe. the australian prime minister. >> nelson mandela was one of the great figures of africa. arguably one of the great figures of the last century. a truly great man. >> reporter: and in canada, where in 2001 he became the first honorary citizen of ottawa. they said he lost one of the world's great moral leader. >> mr. mandela left prison with his mind closed to any settling of scores and his heart open to those he had fought against. >> reporter: mandela in his fight for equality --

>> office's been an inspir riggs, not just for south africa, but around the world. >> reporter: earlier today, the british prime minister was here to sign a book of condolences. the general public has lined up around the block to be able to do the same. this used to be an area of anti-apartheid protest during nelson mandela' incarceration. now it's a place where people are coming to pay tribute, one of many around the world. >> erin mcaulif, thank you. we'll have much more on nelson mandela and his legacy. rick stengel, he'll be my special guest.

>> when i had chance to speak with the daughter and granddaughters of nelson mandela, i found it interesting. one of the comments that the daughter said that so many people believed that nelson mandela fell from the sky. and it stopped me in my tracks. because i'm like, didn't he? didn't he fall from the siky. he seems like such a larger than life person. life with crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is a daily game of "what if's". what if my abdominal pain and cramps end our night before it even starts? what if i eat the wrong thing? what if? what if i suddenly have to go? what if? but what if the most important question is the one you're not asking? what if the underlying cause of your symptoms is damaging inflammation? for help getting the answers you need, talk to your doctor and visit crohnsandcolitisadvocates.com to connect with a patient advocate from abbvie for one-to-one support and education. tomato florentine soup, it took a little time to get it just right.

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>> inspiration and a personal hero. that's how president obama refers to nelson mandela. a man he met some eight years ago at a meeting here in washington, d.c. when obama was still a freshman senator from illinois. yesterday he spoke out about mande mandela's impact on his life. >> the day he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when guided by their hopes and not by their fears. and like so many around the globe, i cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that nelson mandela set. >> joining me now is rick strength am. he collaborated on the ought buy all offy of nelson mandela. and also the author of mandela's ways on life, love and courage. thanks for joining us. the president will be heading over to south africa to pay his

respects and america ago respects to nelson mandela. what should we be paying attention to? >> wolf, i think every world leader, including president obama wants to borrow a little bit from the halo of nelson mandela. but in the case of president obama, knicksed-race president, a man whose fare was from the continent of south africa, i think he's looking to touch base with some of his roots and also be a part of this grand increase in human freedom that nelson mandela helped usher in and which he has talked about. even last night he used that great line from martin luther king about the world bending towards justice. and i think -- nelson mandela helped the world bend in that direction. >> you were showing viewers a lot of video and pictures of you and nelson mandela. you spent an amazing amount of time with this great man.

and you know, in recent years since the revolution, since he became the first black president of south africa, since there was de democracy, he almost single handedly kept that place okay. shouldn't we be worried now about the future of south africa now that nelson mandela has moved on? >> wolf, i would love for people to feel like we have learned the lessons of nelson mandela and keep the fire alive. he would say that himself. he would say that south africa can succeed in part based on what he helped create. but it's no longer necessary for him to be around on a day-to-day basis. in fact, he hasn't been for the last five to ten years. i think he would hate it if his legacy was undermined by the fact that he was no longer alive to preside over it.

that is the big challenge that south africa faces, however. >> if anyone could have been bitter or angry and sought revenge, it could have been nelson mandela after 27 years in prison. how did he get over that? >> i've said it wasn't as though he was actually without bitterness or without anchor. he understood what happened to him. his life was taken away from him. his family was taken away from him. but he learned and decided in prison that the only way that he could become the leader of this country, that he could achieve justice for his country was through reconciliation and not revenge. he understood that from the moment he got out of prison he could never, ever let anyone see any bitterness or anger or frustration. he would say, let us forget the past. this was wonderful to the ears of the south african whites and less pleasing to the years of

south african blacks who had been denied justice for all of these years. but he knew he had to reconcile his people to achieve harmony and democracy. >> rick, thanks very much. >> thank you. >> let's go back to carol. a lot of other important news. >> yeah. like the weather. terrible ice storm out west and down south. this stuck truck shows the danger on the roads from texas to tennessee. we'll show you where a massive ice storm is now and where it's heading next. [ male announcer ] this is jim, a man who doesn't stand still. but jim has afib, atrial fibrillation -- an irregular heartbeat, not caused by a heart valve problem. that puts jim at a greater risk of stroke. for years, jim's medicine tied him to a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but now, with once-a-day xarelto®, jim's on the move. jim's doctor recommended xarelto®.

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we'll continue our special comp of the death of nelson mandela in just a minute. but first some other stories. an ice storm is knocking out power and making drive dangerous all the way from texas to tennessee. and snow is also falling in arkansas, felt all night there. the weather being blamed for one death already there. and nearly a quarter million people are without power in the dallas area alone. and they're warning for catastrophic conditions for parts of arkansas and tennessee. and chad myers, i'm almost afraid to hear the forecast. >> i have a google earth and i can draw all the way around the ice storm. 120,000 square miles right now being covered up by ice. so if you have power lines down in that large of an area, these power crews aren't going to be able to get the lines up very

quickly. it's going to take some time. this is all snow. and that's great. right through here, the purple and the pink, that's the issue. this is where it's raining and it's 28 or raining and 30. those are ugly numbers because it's liquid. how can that possible happen? how can it rain in 28? why doesn't it snow? because the loft is 50 degrees and it's raining down into the shallow area of cool air at the surface and freezes when it hits. if it makes noise it's called sleet. and if it doesn't make noise, then it's called -- i would love for everybody to get sleet. sleeft you get traction with that. and when you get wet ice on the ground and it's raining on top of that ice, there's no traction. memphis, just about ready to

change over. indra petersen is right there. the rain is over, about to ice up on that. and even icing to nashville and parts of kentucky and parts of ohio. and d.c., washington, d.c., you're not in it for this storm, but there's another one for you sunday night. there will be an ice storm in the nation's capital sunday night. but can you imagine, that won't be a good city to drive around in on -- >> i'm going to be there monday morning and i have to drive into work. >> well, then you better get there now. >> i'm leaving right after this show. other top stories we're covering for you. the engineer behind the controls of the commuter train that derailed in the bongs now sus spended without pay. the ntsb said drug and alcohol tests have call come back negative for william rockefeller. four people died when the train jumped the tracks on sunday. funeral for one of those victims

scheduled for today. frightening scene in the airport in the u.k. the wind gusts as high as 140 miles per hour nearly turned the plane sideways as it approached the tarmac. it ended up landing safely and on time at another airport. a los angeles man has within arrested and accused of stealing part of the wreckage from the scene of paul walker. a suspect could face charms of threat and tampering with evidence. let's head back to washington so we can celebrate the life of nelson mandela. hi, wolf. >> very important that we do so. i'm going to speak with a man who grew up just one stepped removed from nelson mandela. his memories of the civil rights icon right after this break. [ male announcer ] this is george. the day building a play set

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edition of cnn "newsroom." south africans are in mourpging today as they grieve the death and honor the life and legacy of nelson mandela. here is the arc archbishop shopped desmond tutu just a few minutes ago. >> he listened and empathized with others. and restored other's faith in africa and africans. >> outside mandela's home, today south african children marched and sang all in tribute to the country's first black president. in johannesburg, people chanting and dancing joining in the ceremonial homecoming of the man they called madiba. from johannesburg to washington and way beyond, people are remembering nelson mandela today. my next guest has personal

connections to the civil rights icon. he was an anti-apartheid activist and every week for almost 30 years he went behind the prison walls to visit the man who would become south africa's first black president. cedric, thanks for joining us. share with our viewers some of the memories that you have, memories of your cousin, the support you gave him during the decades that he spent behind bars. >> well, thank you, wolf. i followed madiba, nelson mandela's life from the early '60s when i was a student at the university. and actually, i want to turn first to another relative, my uncle, harold hanson was a prominent trial lawyer in south africa and part of mandela's team at the trial of the -- the trials. and he actually gave the plea

bargain to mitigate sentence. and then mandela's book, "long walk to freedom," he talks about how harold hanson actually got him to change his final statement, which is now so iconic, to tone it down perhaps. and he reminded the judge, hanson did, that the africans had their own violent struggle for freedom. so i have a connection on both sides of my family. >> you certainly do. >> and helen, of course, played a prominent role when mr. mandela was in prison for all of those years. she helped obtain reading material for them. which was critical to keeping them in touch with the world. come forgtss like a proper bed and blankets. but also had a very vision guard that mandela had complained

about removed as their jailer. she used her position in parliament to great effect and that's a wonderful legacy. >> and did you get to know nelson mandela well yourself? >> unfortunately, not. i only had a chance to meet him here in atlanta on his 71st birthday. but many of -- many of helen's daughters have met and, of course, we've talked about it a great deal. i left south africa in 1960 to go to london. and would only return periodically. almost every year, but i didn't have an punts to meet him. but i remember vividly the early announcements of the trial and his arrests. he was actually known as the black -- before they tried to catch him. and it was a very traumatic story. >> we certainly remember helen

and harold hanson and your relatives. thank you so much for reflecting on this special day, the ten-day period much mourning in south africa now underway. still to come, nelson mandela's influence stretched far beyond the political world. some of the biggest names in entertainment are also paying their respects today. a live report from new york right after this break. >> the story of a man whose ability to see recited not just in his eyes, but in his conscience. he was a stranger to hate. he rejected recrimination in favor of rec sill wags and he knew that it required moving beyond the place he had been. >> he still cared so deeply about the issues like a.i.d.s. and hiv that were affecting his

country. and he never gave up. it's donut friday at the office. and i'm low man on the totem pole. so every friday morning they send me out to get the goods. but what they don't know is that i'm using my citi thankyou card at the coffee shop, so i get 2 times the points. and those points add up fast. so, sure, make me the grunt. 'cause i'll be using those points to help me get to a beach in miami. and allllllll the big shots will be stuck here at the cube farm. the citi thankyou preferred card. now earn 2x the points on dining out and entertainment, with no annual fee.to apply, go to citi.com/thankyoucards

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♪ >> that was a singer, peter gabriel, who song about taent apartheid led to the long time friendship. our entertainment kront nischelle turner is joining us now. and a lot of other celebrities who are reacting to the death of

this south african giant. tell our viewers what's going on. >> peter gabriel called nelson mandela's life a master lesson in non-violent struggle. and he talked about the fact that they were friends. and most of the us equate him with nelson mandela when he performed at his 70th birthday party. he performed the song and he talked to us last night when we caught up with him about his friend nelson mandela's life and his death. >> so it's really sad day for us. and, you know, we're going to miss him enormously. but he's left of hell of a legacy, you know, that you can come out of murder, injustice, racism enshrined in a constitution, and then turn to

the very people responsible and invite them to build a rainbow nation with you. you know, you don't see that now. they don't make them like -- like that anymore. >> they don't make them like that anymore. he says. and he also said that he wants people to remember nelson mandela's legacy, when their faces with things like oppression or injustice, he wants them to stop and think and think about how nelson mandela forgave and preached reconciliation. and he hopes that shows everyone all over the world that they can do and they can be better people. >> an amazing inspiration to so many millions and millions of people. thanks very much. let's go back to carol. >> thank you, wolf. stifl to come in the "newsroom", a huge winter storm turns roads into ice reepgs from texas to tennessee. now there are concerns that some areas could be without power for

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tide pods. pop in. stand out. welcome back to the "newsroom." i'm carol costello. these are pictures out of oklahoma city this morning. as you can see, it's very treacherous there. slow-going on the roads. good reason. a mixture of sleet and rain has fallen. a high temperature right now is, what, 19 degrees? they're expecting a low toekt of 4 degrees. so it's only going to get worse from here. please, please, be careful. other top stories, hiring surged in the month of october. 203,000 jobs addsed to payrolls pushing the unemployment rate to 7%. some of the strongest growth was seen in construction and manufacturing. secretary of state john kerry has left israel following

a series of meetings with benjamin netanyahu. this is the first thiem they've met since they've reached the -- white house leaders insist the u.s. and israel remain close friends despite disagreeing on tactics. how big is the ice storm hitting the midst of united states right now? try this, 120,000 square miles are covered by ice. in the dallas-ft. worth area alone, there are more than a quarter million power outages. more than 1200 flights have been canceled. cnn's indra petersen is following the storm from memphis. and chad just told us you're right in the bull's-eye now. >> yeah. he knows exactly what's going on. it's switching over from rain to freezing rain. the temperature here in memphis has just dropped. and we're on the verge of it

impacting this big city. many places have already seen the system. you can see from southern indiana all the way through texas, we've seen the impact of the ice storm already on its way. a potentially catastrophic ice storm blanketed the nation's midsection over night. treacherous roadways and large scale power outages forced oklahoma, arkansas, and tennessee to declare a state of emergency. northeast arkansas frozen and leaving many without power. an out knowledge, officials say, that could last up to a week. temperatures expected to stay below freezing for many days. this icy mixture of snow, sleet, and freezing rain caused multiple rollovers in arkansas. and in oklahoma, the driver of

this truck lost control on a icy bridge and plummeted into a lake. >> it's real slick. tried to get up the hill and couldn't make it up the hill. best thing to do is stay home today. >> reporter: in illinois, vehicles slide right off the highways as accumulation of sleet and ice reach as high as 1/4 inch in southern counties. it could be the worst ice storm to hit the region since 1994 which caused over $3 billion in damage. and it's not just the ice. the air mass is dropping temps 10 to 30 degrees below normal, leaving millions of people to battle a dangerously bitter cold into the weekend. we've talked about this freezing rain from indiana back to texas, but the real bull's-eye is in oklahoma, tennessee, and dallas. that's where we have the threat.

we could see these power lines come down and leave many of these places without power for several days if not weeks. this is only round one. this is going to be a two-punch wave here. a second system moving right behind it on its heels. and remember, if these people lose powers, we're talking about temperatures in some places 20, 30 degrees below normal. here we'll be below freezing. we're crossing our fingers that we can hold on to the power lines. >> still to come in the "newsroom", remembering nelson mandela through a series of songs, dances and tributes as the world says good-bye to a leader. ♪ la's known definitely for its traffic,

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♪ thank you for joining us for this special edition of cnn "newsroom." i'm carol costello at the cnn center. >> and i'm wolf blitzer here in washington. join me later this afternoon when i sit down with former president bill clinton. he and his family referred to nelson mandela has a friend. i'll talk to him about the impact nelson mandela had on his own life and presidency. it will air 5:00 p.m. eastern in the "the situation room."

we leave you now with powerful sights and sounds and the world remembers nelson mandela. >> long live the spirit of south african people. >> long live. ♪ >> the most precious diamond honed deep beneath the surface of the earth, the madiba who emerged from prison in january, 1990, was virtually flawless. ♪ >> he made us all understand that nobody should be penalized

for the color of his skin, for the circumstances under which he is born. he also made us understand that we can change the world. ♪ >> major money news. unemployment has hit its lowest point in five long years. we're going to break down the numbers for you. plus the life and death of nelson mandela. the revolutionary, activist, world leader, family man, movie star, the funny man, and yes, even the ladies' man. we're live in south africa where a nation and the entire world is mourning the loss of that leader? >> it's nice to have you